Coty reformulates another hair color brand, adding ME+

Monday evening in New York City, Coty executives, R&D leaders, and creative professionals hosted a launch event for the newly reformulated professional color product Koleston Perfect with ME+. But the new hair color is about more than a technology update; Coty is positioning the Wella brand as the safer, smarter choice for educated, discerning consumers.

Following Mauceri’s remarks, David Sarro, the company’s Hair Care R&D director, spoke about his seven years of work to update the Koleston Perfect formula.

Wella scientists developed at patented ME+ (2-Methoxymethyl-p-Phenylenediamine) in 2014 when the brand was still owned by P&G. And the molecule was first used in the Wella Innosense professional hair color line.

Wella, along with the ME+ technology, became part of Coty in 2016 when that company purchased some 40+ cosmetics, personal care, and fragrance brands from P&G. At the start of 2018, Coty launched a reformulated Nice-n Easy on to the consumer market; and at that time, suggested there were plans to reformulate many if not all Coty hair color products to include the ME+ technology rather than the conventional PPD or PTD molecules: “The plans for all Coty color products are being defined,” ​James Corbett, color director at Clairol, told Cosmetics Design in February​, “We expect the total conversion in the next few years.”​

In the lab​

ME+, as Sarro describes it, has two advantages over PPD and PTD technology: it does not set off the formation of free radicals; and because of its physical shape, ME+ can’t trigger the same allergic reaction PPD and PTD can.

Free radicals that result when PPD or PTD come into contact with metals in the hair, explains Sarro, can (unpredictably) inhibit or accelerate the hair coloring process, resulting in uneven color from root to ends and/or an undesired color overall. Free radicals, he says, also break hair’s natural keratin bonds, leaving colored hair damaged.

Given consumers’ general interest in wellness and concern about allergens in beauty and personal care products, it follows that a hair color product that can deliver good color, less damage, and fewer allergies will be quite desirable in the market.

“We want to have something that is great today, that is great color after color, and is great for the rest of your life,” ​says Sarro. That something is Wella Koleston Perfect with ME+.

In the salon ​

The launch event also featured a discussion about the stylist and consumer experience of Koleston Perfect with ME+ with Sonya Dove, Wella Professionals Global Creative Artist, and Sophie Turner, actor and brand spokesperson.

Their remarks centered on the healthy, shiny appearance of hair colored with Wella’s new Koleston Perfect with ME+ product.

Coty Professional Creative Director Rossano Ferretti also spoke Monday evening. His focus was on marketing imagery and messaging that conveys how the product can be used on (adult) clients of any age, any ethnicity, and with an array of coloring techniques.

This article was updated on 16-Oct-2018 to correctly attribute Vit Pollina’s remarks. An earlier version of this article listed Sal Mauceri, CEO of Coty Professional Beauty in North America (who was initially scheduled to be at the event but was unable to attend).​

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Deanna Utroske, CosmeticsDesign.com Editor, covers beauty business news in the Americas region and publishes the weekly Indie Beauty Profile column, showcasing the inspiring work of entrepreneurs and innovative brands.